M O D E R N ME DI CI NE
PREPARING FOR AN INTERCONNECTED FUTURE
D
esigning medical devices is unique. A good design requires a blend of safety, usability and aesthetics. Surges in device and contextual complexity, including the omnipresent role of technology and performancebased reimbursement, continue to evolve this domain. The increasing scale of device manufacturers and a resulting portfolio effect have also altered the demands on industrial designers. As device manufacturers grow through acquisition and organic innovation, industrial designers work within increasingly diverse product development teams and must evolve to thrive. Additional competencies for industrial designers in the medical domain include systems thinking, risk management, user interface (UI) development and user experience (UX) design. Further, as with many technologydriven domains, industrial designers must have proficient soft skills to excel as cross-functional partners. Industrial design practitioners and educators need to adapt to this new normal. To do so, we need to think critically about our role in the development process, advance our hard skills and elevate our soft skills. Turning the tools and methods for capturing user needs and design inputs inward is a good first step. Diversity in Products and People In-house industrial design teams now face the challenges that once defined external consultants exclusively (e.g., a wide variety in project scope and ever-changing domains). Essentially, the role of industrial design has expanded as device manufacturers aim to support procedures end-toend with complete product portfolios, known as the portfolio effect. Industrial designers work on products ranging from handheld tools and capital equipment to graphical user interfaces.
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This expansion in product diversity has occurred for good reason. It allows systematic solutions benefiting the patient, the user and the device manufacturer. Advantages of the portfolio effect include a cohesive user experience, increased safety and an ability to offer broader cost discounts. Beyond expanding the range of project contributions, the portfolio effect has also increased the interconnections industrial designers have with other research and development disciplines. Device manufacturers employ diverse teams with every discipline found in a research university catalog, including roles common to product development and those exclusive to medical device design. Traditional stakeholders (e.g., mechanical engineering and marketing) are primary partners for industrial designers, but the mix of cross-disciplinary interaction is changing. Systems engineering, software engineering, and research and technology groups play an ever-increasing part day to day. These disciplines have been integrated in the development process historically, but the degree to which industrial designers interact with these stakeholders has intensified. The ubiquitous nature of technology and the portfolio effect are driving this shift. The rise of the hybrid usability specialist/human factors engineer/industrial designer magnifies the need for better cross-disciplinary interaction. Successful industrial designers appreciate cross-disciplinary perspectives and work in tandem with partners to develop design solutions. Strengthening our partnerships with other disciplines is a huge opportunity to advance the industrial design profession. These partnerships will also accelerate industrial design into the fourth industrial revolution (e.g., artificial intelligence, internet of things, augmented/mixed/virtual reality, quantum computing).
